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Lilly's 21 lead Brown over Canisius 83-76SHENZHEN, China , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 26, 2024 , Access Advance LLC ("AA") and TCL Electronics Holdings Limited ("TCL" or "Client") announced that TCL had officially joined the HEVC Advance Patent Pool as a licensee. PurpleVine IP Group ("PurpleVine") played a pivotal role in this achievement, providing full-spectrum services, including strategic planning, global litigation management, and licensing negotiation support. PurpleVine's efforts were instrumental in helping TCL finalize agreements with AA and multiple HEVC Advance licensors, resolving years of complex global litigation over HEVC standard-essential patents("SEPs"). Since 2021, leading HEVC Advance licensors - including Dolby, GEVC, Philips, Mitsubishi Electric, JVCKENWOOD, NEC, ETRI, and IP Bridge - have filed dozens of infringement lawsuits and sought injunctions against TCL across jurisdictions such as Germany , the Unified Patent Court (UPC) in Europe , and Brazil . PurpleVine provided TCL with a comprehensive defense strategy tailored to each jurisdiction. Working closely with local counsel, the PurpleVine team devised FRAND-compliant arguments, non-infringement defenses, and patent invalidation strategies that not only neutralized injunction threats but also achieved an outstanding success rate of over 90% in invalidating asserted patents during first-instance rulings. PurpleVine also spearheaded counteractions against AA and HEVC Advance licensors in multiple jurisdictions, including China , Brazil , and Germany . Notably, PurpleVine assisted TCL in filing two landmark cases in Chinese courts - one challenging SEP licensing rates and another alleging abuse of market dominance. These cases were the first in the world where courts asserted jurisdiction over SEP pool licensing rates and alleged monopolistic practices, setting a groundbreaking legal precedent. Daniel Fu , General Counsel of TCL, stated, "We are pleased to have signed a license with Access Advance's HEVC patent pool, with the help of PurpleVine IP. The transaction is beneficial to the licensing ecosystem and the development of cutting-edge technologies for the welfare of consumers." This multi-jurisdictional case, involving complex legal challenges, spanning several years, highlights PurpleVine's expertise in managing high-stakes IP disputes. PurpleVine's strategic leadership, effective litigation management, and skilled negotiations reaffirm its position as a leading provider of cross-border intellectual property services. Disclaimer: This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or an official statement regarding litigation. About PurpleVine IP Group PurpleVine IP Group, based in Shenzhen, China , is a leading intellectual property service provider with a global perspective. The firm offers one-stop IP services, including patent and trademark prosecution, analysis, global transactions, licensing negotiations, and dispute resolution. The core members of PurpleVine's litigation and dispute resolution team have backgrounds in top international law firms and leading corporate legal departments. They have managed patent litigation and invalidation cases in over 50 courts worldwide. The firm also includes SEP (Standard Essential Patent) experts from the telecommunications industry, who have been involved in hundreds of patent licensing negotiations and litigations. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/purplevine-drives-tcls-successful-entry-into-the-hevc-advance-patent-pool-302320761.html SOURCE PurpleVine IPRuud van Nistelrooy treated himself to a beer after enjoying a perfect start to his reign as Leicester manager. Van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge ended with a 3-1 win over West Ham, thanks to goals from Jamie Vardy, Bilal El Khannouss and Patson Daka. The Dutchman, who was out of work for just two weeks following his four-game spell as Manchester United interim boss, only started on Sunday so was happy to end a hectic three days in style. “It has been very busy getting to know everyone, start working together,” he said. “Everybody was involved with that and helping, it was busy, long days, but worth it. I was focused on the game and what the game needed, the subs, the half-time talk, so focused on the moment, so I am going to get myself a little beer and reflect on the last three days.” He endured a dream start as Vardy scored after just 98 seconds with El Khannouss and Daka adding second-half goals. It was by no means one-way traffic, though, as West Ham – who scored a consolation through Niclas Fullkrug at the death – had 30 shots on goal. But Van Nistelrooy saw enough to think he can deliver on his objective of keeping the Foxes in the Premier League. “I am very happy, if you look at the result – and it is about the result – it was a great night, three points, three good goals and also very effective. “Overall the game of course we have seen and how dominant West Ham were at certain stages and what they created, that is a fact and something we have to look at. “Overall, what I expected of the players going forward was togetherness and hunger, energy and spirit in this team that is fighting for every inch. “Eleven players on the pitch who are fighting as a foundation to play the rest of the Premier League. I saw that completely with every single player that started and came on. “That’s the foundation we have to build on, without that it will be impossible to get where we want to go. I am very happy about that.” West Ham’s hierarchy will have seen what impact a managerial change can have as the jury remains out on Julen Lopetegui, with away fans making their feelings clear by chanting “You’re getting sacked in the morning”. Lopetegui expects to keep his job but forthcoming games against his former club Wolves, Bournemouth, Brighton and Southampton could determine the Spaniard’s future. “The only thing that I am worried about is to go to training session tomorrow and stand up the players and prepare the next challenge,” he said. “We have one month of December with a lot of matches and I am sure with this attitude we are going to achieve many more points. “I believe in the players. I am confident that tomorrow we are going to be ready to prepare the next match. “Understanding the question, but at the end of the season maybe we talk in another way. There are a lot of matches and points, a lot of things can happen. “I believe in these players and team, I am sure the position is going to be much better. They are only words but we have to work a lot to achieve this.”
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BEIRUT — Israel's military launched airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, unleashing explosions throughout the country and killing at least 31 while Israeli leaders appeared to be closing in on a negotiated ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group. Israeli strikes hit commercial and residential buildings in Beirut as well as in the port city of Tyre. Military officials claimed they targeted areas known as Hezbollah strongholds. They issued evacuation orders for Beirut's southern suburbs, and strikes landed across the city, including meters from a Lebanese police base and the city's largest public park. The barrage came as officials indicated they were nearing agreement on a ceasefire, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet prepared to discuss an offer on the table. Bulldozers remove the rubble of a destroyed building Monday that was hit in an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. Foreign ministers from the world’s leading industrialized nations also expressed cautious optimism Monday about possible progress on a ceasefire. People are also reading... Sheriff: 1 arrested, 1 wanted after Statesville man strangled, robbed Lake Norman residents voice concerns with Marshall Steam Station changes Iredell County bridge to close for $1.2 replacement project Basketball transfer Patterson back home at West Iredell to 'bring in some wins' Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams making furniture in Alexander County again Baseball league cries foul as Iredell plans to charge to use Jennings Park fields MerMade: Workspace opens in Statesville, caters to artists, crafters Statesville embraces underdog role in rematch with defending champ Hickory Statesville falls to Hickory, Mooresville tops NW Guilford in football playoffs Mooresville's Farmer, Graham picked to play in Shrine Bowl With supermajority in NC House gone, Iredell's Republican lawmakers talk changes, challenges Historian, writer Bill Moose subject of Iredell County Historical Society event Monday Statesville sweeps varsity doubleheader with South Iredell; Shehan reaches 1,000 points in Lake Norman win West Iredell starts season strong with win over Bunker Hill Statesville Police Department welcomes first police attorney, Stephanie Adkins “Knock on wood,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said as he opened the Group of Seven meeting outside Rome. “We are perhaps close to a ceasefire in Lebanon," he said. "Let's hope it's true and that there's no backing down at the last-minute.” A ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon was foremost on the agenda of the G7 meeting in Fiuggi, outside Rome, that gathered ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, in the last G7 encounter of the Biden administration. For the first time, the G7 ministers were joined by their counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, as well as the Secretary General of the Arab League. Thick smoke, flames and debris erupt Monday from an Israeli airstrike that targeted a building in Tayouneh, Beirut, Lebanon. Meanwhile, massive explosions lit up Lebanon's skies with flashes of orange, sending towering plumes of smoke into the air as Israeli airstrikes pounded Beirut's southern suburbs Monday. The blasts damaged buildings and left shattered glass and debris scattered across nearby streets. Some of the strikes landed close to central Beirut and near Christian neighborhoods and other targets where Israel issued evacuation warnings, including in Tyre and Nabatiyeh province. Israeli airstrikes also hit the northeast Baalbek-Hermel region without warning. Lebanon's Health Ministry said Monday that 26 people were killed in southern Lebanon, four in the eastern Baalbek-Hermel province and one in Choueifat, a neighborhood in Beirut's southern suburbs that was not subjected to evacuation warnings on Monday. The deaths brought the total toll to 3,768 killed in Lebanon throughout 13 months of war between Israel and Hezbollah and nearly two months since Israel launched its ground invasion. Many of those killed since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah have been civilians, and health officials said some of the recovered bodies were so severely damaged that DNA testing would be required to confirm their identities. Israel claims to have killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Lebanon's Health Ministry says the war has displaced 1.2 million people. Destroyed buildings stand Monday in the area of a village in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel. Israeli ground forces invaded southern Lebanon in early October, meeting heavy resistance in a narrow strip of land along the border. The military previously exchanged attacks across the border with Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group that began firing rockets into Israel the day after the war in Gaza began last year. Lebanese politicians have decried the ongoing airstrikes and said they are impeding ceasefire negotiations. The country's deputy parliament speaker accused Israel of ramping up its bombardment to pressure Lebanon to make concessions in indirect ceasefire negotiations with Hezbollah. Elias Bousaab, an ally of the militant group, said Monday that the pressure has increased because "we are close to the hour that is decisive regarding reaching a ceasefire." Israeli officials voiced similar optimism Monday about prospects for a ceasefire. Mike Herzog, the country's ambassador to Washington, earlier in the day told Israeli Army Radio that several points had yet to be finalized. Though any deal would require agreement from the government, Herzog said Israel and Hezbollah were "close to a deal." "It can happen within days," he said. Israeli officials have said the sides are close to an agreement that would include withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and a pullback of Hezbollah fighters from the Israeli border. But several sticking points remain. A member of the Israeli security forces inspects an impact site Sunday after a rocket fired from Lebanon hit an area in Rinatya, outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel. After previous hopes for a ceasefire were dashed, U.S. officials cautioned that negotiations were not yet complete and noted that there could be last-minute hitches that either delay or destroy an agreement. "Nothing is done until everything is done," White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday. The proposal under discussion to end the fighting calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border south of the Litani River. The withdrawals would be accompanied by an influx of thousands more Lebanese army troops, who have been largely sidelined in the war, to patrol the border area along with an existing U.N. peacekeeping force. Western diplomats and Israeli officials said Israel demands the right to strike in Lebanon if it believes Hezbollah is violating the terms. The Lebanese government says such an arrangement would authorize violations of the country's sovereignty. Shoppers say they want eco-friendly products, so why aren't they buying them? Shoppers say they want eco-friendly products, so why aren't they buying them? On paper, being more sustainable and eco-friendly while shopping sounds great—so why don't more people do it? There is growing consumer consciousness about the environmental impact of where people choose to shop and the sustainability of the products they buy. According to McKinsey, over 60% of individuals surveyed in 2020 said they would be willing to pay more for a product that is packaged in an eco-friendly way. Since 2019, products marketed as being environmentally sustainable have seen a 28% growth in revenue compared to 20% for products with no such marketing, a 2023 McKinsey and NielsenIQ report found. Much of this is thanks to the preferences and attitudes of Gen Z, who, on average, care more than their older counterparts about being informed shoppers. The younger generation also has more social justice and environmental awareness altogether. Shoppers are willing to spend around 9.7% more on a product they know is sourced or manufactured sustainably, with 46% saying they would do so explicitly because they want to reduce their environmental footprint, according to a 2024 PwC report. Sustainable practices consumers look for from companies include production methods, packaging, and water conservation. But despite the growing consciousness around being more environmentally responsible, consumer actions don't always align with their values. In psychology, this is defined as the "say-do gap": the phenomenon wherein people openly express concern and intention around an issue, but fail to take tangible action to make a change. According to the Harvard Business Review in 2019, most consumers (65%) say they want to buy from brands that promote sustainability, but only 1 in 4 follow through. So why don't people actually shop sustainably, despite how much they express a preference for eco-friendly products—and how can we close the gap? The RealReal examined reports from the Harvard Business Review and other sources to explore why some shoppers want to buy sustainably but struggle to follow through. This lack of action isn't due to a lack of caring—in many cases, it's hard to know how to be a sustainable consumer and other factors are often outside of shoppers' control. But the more people shop sustainably, the easier and more accessible that market will be for everyone—making it much easier for folks to buy aligned with their values. Barriers to sustainable shopping There are many obstacles preventing shoppers from upholding eco-friendly habits as much as they may want to—but not all of these barriers are necessarily real, or accurately understood. Shopping sustainably simply isn't convenient or accessible for many. Those who live in apartment buildings are 50% less likely to recycle , according to Ipsos. Reasons for this can vary from lack of space to buildings being excluded altogether because of recycling contamination issues. Many believe that sustainable products are too expensive or of a lower quality. The former is often true, which does create a hurdle for many: The manufacturing processes and materials for sustainable products are pricey. For instance, organic cotton requires an intensive production process free of certain chemicals or pesticides; by definition, true eco-friendly products can't be mass-produced, further upping their price tag. Using recycled materials for packaging, or obtaining an eco certification, can also be expensive. However, although the narrative of eco-friendly products being more expensive is true, there is often more of an effort to use better quality materials that last longer than their noneco-friendly counterparts. This could end up saving consumers money in the long run: By paying more upfront, they can get more wear out of sustainable fashion, for instance. There is also undeniable political rhetoric surrounding eco-friendly products—however, despite many Conservative politicians decrying sustainable products, members of all generations are increasingly choosing to prioritize shopping sustainably regardless of their political affiliation, according to research from NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business . This finding shows a trend toward seeing sustainability as a nonpartisan subject everyone can benefit from, no matter where they lie on the political spectrum. Some might think eco-friendly clothing, in particular, is not fashion-forward; after all, many of the top clothing retailers in the world partake in fast fashion. However, brands are increasingly being recognized as 'cool' and 'trendy' for supporting environmentally ethical practices, particularly as younger generations prioritize sustainability, as noted before. Many increasingly popular online stores are taking advantage of this paradigm shift by offering secondhand shopping options that are not only fashionable, but also more affordable, like ThredUp or Poshmark. Additionally, many legacy large-name brands are hopping on the sustainability movement and are gaining appreciation from loyal customers. Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly program partners with third-party certification bodies to make it easier for shoppers to identify eco-friendly products as they browse the website. H&M's newly launched H&M Rewear program debuts a resale platform that allows the resale of all clothing brands—not just their own. Similarly, Patagonia's Worn Wear program allows shoppers to trade in and buy used gear and clothing. The federal government is also working to close this gap. The Environmental Protection Agency's Safer Choice program is attempting to make sustainable shopping easier for consumers and companies alike. It includes a directory of certified products, a list of safer chemicals to look out for on labels, a "Safer Choice" label that products can earn to denote they are eco-friendly, and resources for manufacturers looking to adopt more sustainable practices. Most of all, though, the biggest way shoppers can shift toward sustainable shopping is through their behaviors and attitudes amongst their peers and communities. Studies show that humans largely care what others think of their actions; the more shoppers make environmentally conscious shopping the norm, the more others will follow suit. From an economic perspective, the more consumers shop eco-friendly, the more affordable and accessible these products will become, too: Sustainable products are currently more expensive because they are not in high demand. Once demand rises, production rates and prices can lower, making these products more accessible for all. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Kristen Wegrzyn. This story originally appeared on The RealReal and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get local news delivered to your inbox!The head of the Secret Service sparred with a Republican lawmaker at a contentious congressional hearing into security failings that led to the deadly assassination attempt against President-elect Donald Trump. Ronald Rowe took pointed questions from both sides of the aisle about how the agency could have allowed a teen gunman to open fire on Trump , lightly wounding him and killing one of his supporters at a July campaign rally in Butler, Pa. The hearing turned nasty when Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) accused Rowe of cozying up to President Biden at a 9/11 remembrance event in what he suggested was an effort to curry favor and win the top Secret Service position. “Do not invoke 9/11 for political purposes,” yelled Rowe, who responded to Ground Zero after the 2001 terror attacks. “Don’t try and bully me,” Fallon shot back. Rowe took over the reins of the Secret Service, at least temporarily, after former director Kimberly Cheatle stepped down amid widespread criticism of lax security at the rally where Trump was shot. Trump has not announced who might get the job permanently. Rowe insisted the Secret Service is “reorganizing and reimagining” its culture following the shocking Trump shooting. He promised accountability for what he called the agency’s “abject failure” to secure the rally, where a gunman managed to climb atop a nearby building that offered a clear line of sight to Trump and unload several shots. Trump was wounded in the ear, while supporter Corey Comperatore was killed in the attack. Two others were wounded before the gunman was felled by a Secret Service sharpshooter. “It is essential that we recognize the gravity of our failure,” Rowe said. The panel is expected to release a report into the Trump assassination effort by next week at the latest. Rowe was repeatedly asked by flabbergasted lawmakers how glaring and elementary security failings were allowed to happen, including communications difficulties between the Secret Service and local law enforcement, as well as the lax security of the rally perimeter. Rep. Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat, said it was “just wild to me” that the Secret Service was using inefficient text messages and emails to communicate in real time about deadly threats. Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) called the agency’s conduct “lackadaisical.” “It speaks of an apathy or a complacency that is really unacceptable,” Green said. Another apparent attempt on Trump’s life in September added to questions about the agency’s effectiveness. The gunman in that case lay in wait for Trump at his golf course in Florida , but a Secret Service agent spotted a firearm poking through bushes and thwarted the slay try. He was later arrested nearby and is awaiting trial.
Half of Mayor Eric Adams’ latest matching campaign fund claims deemed ‘invalid’None
AP News Summary at 5:36 p.m. ESTReports: Bill Belichick interviews for North Carolina job
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robbins LLP reminds investors that a shareholder filed a class action on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Wolfspeed, Inc. (NYSE: WOLF) securities between August 16, 2023 and November 6, 2024. Wolfspeed is a global semiconductor company focused on silicon carbide materials and the fabrication of devices for power applications. For more information, submit a form , email attorney Aaron Dumas, Jr., or give us a call at (800) 350-6003. The Allegations: Robbins LLP is Investigating Allegations that Wolfspeed, Inc (WOLF) Misled Investors Regarding its Revenue Projections According to the complaint, defendants provided the public with revenue projections that depended on the Mohawk Valley fabrication facility ramping its production to meet and/or exceed demand for its 200mm wafer product. Defendants provided these overwhelmingly positive statements to investors while, at the same time, concealing material adverse facts concerning the true state of Wolfspeed’s growth potential and, in particular, the operational status and profitability of the Mohawk Valley fabrication facility. First, to meet its publicly stated projections, the Company would have to cancel or otherwise indefinitely suspend planned future projects such as the facility in Saarland, Germany. Second, the Company would have to terminate a significant portion of its workforce (approximately 20%) and shutter the Durham fabrication facility. Plaintiff alleges that on November 6, 2024, Wolfspeed announced its financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 and unveiled guidance for the second quarter well below expectations. While defendants had repeatedly claimed that 20% utilization of the Mohawk Valley fabrication facility would result in $100 million revenue out of the facility, defendants now guided to a range 30% to 50% below that mark. The Company attributed its results and lowered guidance to “demand ... ramp[ing] more slowly than we originally anticipated” as “EV customers revise their launch time lines as the market works though this transition period.” On this news, Wolfspeed’s stock price fell from $13.71 per share on November 6, 2024, to $8.33 per share on November 7, 2024, a decline of about 39.24%. What Now: You may be eligible to participate in the class action against Wolfspeed, Inc. Shareholders who want to serve as lead plaintiff for the class must submit their application to the court by January 17, 2025. A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. You do not have to participate in the case to be eligible for a recovery. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. For more information, click here . All representation is on a contingency fee basis. Shareholders pay no fees or expenses. About Robbins LLP: Some law firms issuing releases about this matter do not actually litigate securities class actions; Robbins LLP does. A recognized leader in shareholder rights litigation, the attorneys and staff of Robbins LLP have been dedicated to helping shareholders recover losses, improve corporate governance structures, and hold company executives accountable for their wrongdoing since 2002. Since our inception, we have obtained over $1 billion for shareholders. To be notified if a class action against Wolfspeed, Inc. settles or to receive free alerts when corporate executives engage in wrongdoing, sign up for Stock Watch today. Attorney Advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e2a3cda-6c15-4240-9c27-2fcf37e35629
The conflict is “entering a decisive phase,” Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday, and “taking on very dramatic dimensions.” Ukraine’s parliament canceled a session as security was tightened following Thursday's Russian strike on a military facility in the city of Dnipro. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was in retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Putin said Western air defense systems would be powerless to stop the new missile. Ukrainian military officials said the missile that hit Dnipro had reached a speed of Mach 11 and carried six nonnuclear warheads each releasing six submunitions. Speaking Friday to military and weapons industries officials, Putin said Russia is launching production of the Oreshnik. “No one in the world has such weapons,” he said with a thin smile. “Sooner or later other leading countries will also get them. We are aware that they are under development." But he added, "we have this system now. And this is important.” Testing the missile will continue, “including in combat, depending on the situation and the character of security threats created for Russia,” Putin said, noting there is ”a stockpile of such systems ready for use.” Putin said that while it isn’t an intercontinental missile, it’s so powerful that the use of several of them fitted with conventional warheads in one attack could be as devastating as a strike with strategic — or nuclear — weapons. Gen. Sergei Karakayev, head of Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces, said the Oreshnik could reach targets across Europe and be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads, echoing Putin's claim that even with conventional warheads, “the massive use of the weapon would be comparable in effect to the use of nuclear weapons.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov kept up Russia's bellicose tone on Friday, blaming “the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries” in supplying weapons to Ukraine to strike Russia. "The Russian side has clearly demonstrated its capabilities, and the contours of further retaliatory actions in the event that our concerns were not taken into account have also been quite clearly outlined," he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, widely seen as having the warmest relations with the Kremlin in the European Union, echoed Moscow's talking points, suggesting the use of U.S.-supplied weapons in Ukraine likely requires direct American involvement. “These are rockets that are fired and then guided to a target via an electronic system, which requires the world’s most advanced technology and satellite communications capability,” Orbán said on state radio. “There is a strong assumption ... that these missiles cannot be guided without the assistance of American personnel.” Orbán cautioned against underestimating Russia’s responses, emphasizing that the country’s recent modifications to its nuclear deployment doctrine should not be dismissed as a “bluff.” “It’s not a trick... there will be consequences,” he said. Separately in Kyiv, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský called Thursday's missile strike an “escalatory step and an attempt of the Russian dictator to scare the population of Ukraine and to scare the population of Europe.” At a news conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Lipavský also expressed his full support for delivering the necessary additional air defense systems to protect Ukrainian civilians from the “heinous attacks.” He underlined that the Czech Republic will impose no limits on the use of its weapons and equipment given to Ukraine. Three lawmakers from Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, confirmed that Friday's previously scheduled session was called off due to the ongoing threat of Russian missiles targeting government buildings in central Kyiv. In addition, there also was a recommendation to limit the work of all commercial offices and nongovernmental organizations "in that perimeter, and local residents were warned of the increased threat,” said lawmaker Mykyta Poturaiev, who added this is not the first time such a threat has been received. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office continued to work in compliance with standard security measures, a spokesperson said. Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate said the Oreshnik missile, whose name in Russian means “hazelnut tree,” was fired from the Kapustin Yar 4th Missile Test Range in Russia’s Astrakhan region, and flew 15 minutes before striking Dnipro. Test launches of a similar missile were conducted in October 2023 and June 2024, the directorate said. The Pentagon confirmed the missile was a new, experimental type of intermediate-range missile based on its RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. Thursday's attack struck the Pivdenmash plant that built ICBMs when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. The military facility is located about 4 miles (6 1/2 kilometers) southwest of the center of Dnipro, a city of about 1 million that is Ukraine’s fourth-largest and a key hub for military supplies and humanitarian aid, and is home to one of the country’s largest hospitals for treating wounded soldiers from the front before their transfer to Kyiv or abroad. The stricken area was cordoned off and out of public view. With no fatalities reported from the attack, Dnipro residents resorted to dark humor on social media, mostly focused on the missile’s name, Oreshnik. Elsewhere in Ukraine, Russia struck a residential district of Sumy overnight with Iranian-designed Shahed drones, killing two people and injuring 13, the regional administration said.. Ukraine’s Suspilne media, quoting Sumy regional head Volodymyr Artiukh, said the drones were stuffed with shrapnel elements. “These weapons are used to destroy people, not to destroy objects,” said Artiukh, according to Suspilne.